Monday, May 9, 2005

GREYHOUND SOFTBALL SQUAD PREPARES FOR ITS EIGHTH STRAIGHT NCAA TOURNAMENT APPEARANCE

BETHLEHEM, PA --- The Moravian College softball team will be heading to the NCAA Division III Tournament for the eighth consecutive season as the Greyhounds have the second seed in the 2005 Regional Tournament hosted by Salisbury University in Salisbury, Maryland.

The tournament begins on Friday, May 13th with fourth seeded Ferrum (VA) College (25-13), the champions of the USA South Athletic Conference, taking on fifth seed the Mary Baldwin (VA) College (15-22), the Atlantic Women’s Colleges Conference Champion at 10:00 a.m. The second seeded Greyhounds (34-6), the Commonwealth Conference Champions, will play third seed Roanoke (VA) College (32-10), the Old Dominion Athletic Conference Champion, at 12:00 p.m.

The host Sea Gulls (37-4), one of five independent schools to earn a bid to the tournament, will play the winner of the Ferrum-Mary Baldwin at 2:00 p.m. The losers of the first two games will play in the first elimination game of the regional at 4:00 p.m.

The tournament will run through Sunday with the champion earning one of eight berths in the NCAA Division III World Series in Raleigh, North Carolina, which begins on Friday, May 20th. Saturday’s action will begin at 10:00 a.m. as well while Sunday will begin at 12:00 p.m.

The Greyhounds under the direction of 12-year head coach John Byrne, who as a career mark of 367-123, have posted a 34-6 overall record this spring, the 12th consecutive season that Moravian has won at least 23 games, and a 13-1 mark in Commonwealth Conference action. The Greyhounds, which have won over 30 games seven times under Byrne including the last five years, are in the NCAA Tournament for the eighth straight year and the postseason for the 11th consecutive season. Moravian, which is 15-14 in NCAA games, won an NCAA regional championship last spring and had a national runner-up finish at the 2004 Division III World Series.

One of the keys for the Greyhounds again this season has been their pitching staff, which has a 0.68 ERA, 22 shutouts, 284 strikeouts, 141 hits allowed and 64 walks allowed in 266 2/3 innings.

Junior All-American pitcher Meagan Hennessy (Freehold, NJ/Freehold HS) is 27-4 in the circle this season, a school record for wins, with a 0.48 ERA, a school record 17 shutouts, three saves, three no-hitters, 275 strikeouts, all season school records, and just 105 hits, 38 walks and 26 runs (15 earned) allowed in 221 innings of action. Hennessy has already broken the Moravian career records for strikeouts with 586, innings pitched with 556.0, shutouts with 36 and wins with 65.

Freshman pitcher Megan Ritchey (Boyertown, PA/Boyertown HS) has a 6-1 record this season with a 1.63 ERA, 25 strikeouts and 27 hits and 24 walks allowed in 38 2/3 innings of action. Sophomore pitcher/outfielder LeeAnna Roberts (Meshoppen, PA/Elk Lake HS) has a 1-0 record with a 2.00 ERA and three strikeouts in seven innings of action. Moravian's first loss of the season was charged to the team since the winning run scored on the international tiebreaker rule.

As a team at the plate, Moravian has a .315 batting average this season with 334 hits, 37 doubles, 15 triples and 17 home runs. The Greyhounds have scored 194 runs and drawn 80 walks while striking out just 94 times in 1,204 plate appearances. Moravian also has a .970 fielding percentage this spring.

Senior shortstop Heather Bortz (Allentown, PA/Parkland HS) leads Moravian with a .419 average with a team high 54 hits, 25 runs, five doubles, five triples and 20 RBIs. Bortz has also added two sacrifice flies, five stolen bases and 12 walks. Bortz, a two-time All-American, has become the first player in school history to reach 200 career hits and has 245 in her career. She also leads the team with 70 assists in the field.

Sophomore outfielder Justina Black (Orefield, PA/Parkland HS) has 36 hits, 18 runs, 16 RBIs, six doubles, a home run and a .379 average. Freshman second baseman/catcher Beth Paly (Whitehall, PA/ Whitehall HS) has contributed 43 hits, 21 RBIs, 27 runs, nine doubles and a .374 average while sophomore first baseman Lauren Homa (Chalfont, PA/Central Bucks West HS) has 34 hits, 26 runs, 24 RBIs, four doubles, four triples and two home runs this spring.

Roberts has 21 hits, 11 RBIs, 14 runs, a double, a triple, a home run and a .304 average while junior designated player Richelle McWilliams (Riegelsville, PA/Easton HS) has a. 324 average to go with 33 hits, 16 runs, 31 RBIs, five doubles, a triple and nine home runs. Sophomore catcher Danielle Carrione (Bloomfield, NJ/Mt. St. Dominic HS) has 29 hits, 13 RBIs, 24 runs, eight sacrifices bunts, two sacrifice flies, a double, two triples and a home run.

Senior outfielder Krissy Cianfichi (Warrington, PA/Central Bucks East HS) has 18 hits, 12 runs, 11 RBIs and three stolen bases, and Cianfichi became the 20th player in school history to reach 100 hits with 101 in her career. Freshman third baseman Kelly Santry (Hatboro, PA/Upper Moreland HS) has contributed 22 hits, 11 runs, two doubles, two home runs, ten sacrifice bunts and nine RBIs while senior second baseman/outfielder Leah Holmes (Clarks Green, PA/Abington Heights HS) has added 14 hits, three runs, a double, nine sacrifice bunts and two RBIs.

Freshmen first baseman Katie Uhas (Pottstown, PA/Owen J. Roberts HS) has contributed seven hits with a homer, a double, a run and five RBIs while senior outfielder Stephanie Eddinger (Allentown, PA/Parkland HS) has five hits, seven runs, a triple and an RBI. Sophomore first baseman Rebecca DeJulio (Vineland, NJ/ Sacred Heart HS) has eight hits, a double and four RBIs while freshmen outfielder Keri Traficante (Chalfont, PA/Central Bucks West HS) has five hits, seven runs and an RBI. Ritchey has contributed five hits, three runs, a double, a triple and four RBIs.

Salisbury is making its ninth straight appearance in the NCAA Tournament and 11th overall. The Sea Gulls, who have played in the NCAA World Series in each of the last three seasons, are 37-4 overall and were the champions of the Capital Athletic Conference. Salisbury is lead by junior All-American pitcher Lacey Lister, who is 26-2 this season with a 0.86 ERA, 11 shutouts, 245 strikeouts and just 78 hits, 48 walks and 19 runs (16 earned runs) allowed in 167 2/3 innings. Freshman pitcher Kirsten Wells is 22-2 with 89 strikeouts, two saves, two shutouts and a 0.74 ERA in 97 1/3 innings. Senior Erin Ruest has a .389 average with 49 hits, 23 runs, 33 RBIs, ten doubles and five home runs to lead the Sea Gulls while senior Leslie White is hitting .385 with 45 hits, 33 runs, 22 RBIs, 14 walks, ten doubles, a triple and a homer. Senior Kareem Falcon has added a .378 average with 45 hits, 31 RBIs, 28 runs, 11 doubles, two triples and six homers while sophomore Serena Fleming has contributed a .353 average, 42 hits, 28 runs, 12 RBIs, nine stolen bases and three doubles. Sophomore Tee Dronenberg has a .350 average with 41 hits, 34 RBIs, 26 runs, six doubles and four homers.

Roanoke will be competing in the NCAA Tournament for the second straight year and the sixth time in the program’s history. The Maroons, who went to the World Series in 2000 and 2001, are 32-10 and were tied for first in the regular season ODAC standings at 14-2. Senior Kim Rowe leads Roanoke with a .393 average, 48 hits, 36 RBIs, 30 runs, 19 walks, 11 doubles, two triples and five homers. Senior Robin O’Connor has a .362 average with 47 hits, 30 RBIs, 17 runs and seven doubles while freshman Hillary Hudgins has contributed 45 hits, 35 runs, 24 RBIs, ten walks, eight stolen bases, four doubles, two triples and a home run. In the circle, sophomore Lyndsi Craig is 13-2 with five shutouts, a 1.43 ERA and 114 strikeouts in 102 2/3 innings while sophomore Amy Gillis has a 9-4 mark with a 1.35 ERA, four shutouts and 67 strikeouts in 93 innings. Sophomore Emily Rackely has contributed an 8-4 mark, a 2.15 ERA and 34 strikeouts in 53 innings this season.

Ferrum will be making just its second appearance in the NCAA Tournament and first since 2002. The Panthers are 25-13 overall and were just 8-7 in the USA South Athletic Conference regular season, however, Ferrum won the conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament by winning the conference tournament as a sixth seed. Sophomore Kim Cox has posted a 16-6 record in the circle for Ferrum to go with three shutouts, a 3.35 ERA, one save and 79 strikeouts in 139 2/3 innings. Mary Greenway leads the Panthers at the plate with a .443 average, 58 hits, 38 runs, 48 stolen bases, 13 RBIs, six doubles, three triples and a homer. Jamie Reed has contributed a .351 average, 39 hits, 24 RBIs, 21 runs, 15 walks, seven doubles and two triples while Krystal Ellis has added 32 hits, 25 RBIs, 16 runs, nine doubles and four home runs. Tricia Moore has 33 hits, 22 runs, 22 RBIs, 12 walks, five doubles, two triples and five homers this spring for the Panthers.

Mary Baldwin is making its second consecutive trip to the NCAA Regionals, and the Fighting Squirrels had a perfect 12-0 mark during the regular season in the Atlantic Women’s Colleges Conference. Sophomore Jessica Brown leads Mary Baldwin with a .410 average, 43 hits, 31 RBIs, 29 runs, 11 walks, eight doubles, six triples and two homers. Sophomore Mina Uejima has contributed a .383 average with 41 hits, 32 runs, 17 RBIs, 23 walks, five doubles and four triples while freshman Katie Nolen has a .375 average with 42 hits, 30 RBIs, 20 runs and ten doubles. Freshman Karen Potter has contributed 37 hits, 27 runs, 22 RBIS, seven stolen bases, eight doubles and a triple. In the circle, junior Denise Michael has a 12-11 record with a 5.49 ERA, five shutouts and 71 strikeouts in 139 1/3 innings. Sophomore Cheyenne Crawford has a 3-7 mark and 16 strikeouts in 53 innings of action.